The two part diary is around 1000 pages long, and is a reference for historians as to life of a non-Aryan WW1 German Army veteran and (converted to) Christian in Dresden from 1933-1945, split into 1933-1941, and 1942-1945. To the Nazi's, he was Jew, and his Aryan wife and WW! service gave him 'privileged' status, although limited, as to his place in line for the extermination agenda of the Nazis. It is astounding in detail of persons, decrees, diet, housing, war in armament factories, behaviors of persons and authorities, knowledge extant as to 'relocations' and camps, battle news and most important, the propaganda and language of fascism.

The diary was not published until 1995, many years after the death of the author, which was in 1960. He risked his life, and those of others, in even keeping it. That it survived is miraculous. He gained his freedom when Dresden was fire bombed, and he was able to remove his yellow star, and with his 'Aryan' wife he headed on foot to the west.